Erika D. Smith: What is Indianapolis' identity? Visiting artist is trying to figure that out

Mar. 6, 2013

James Reeves, the first artist in residence for We Are City / submitted by James Reeves

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“No one ever listens to me, but I have a theory: There should be no states (as in the 50 states).”

It’s a rare day when someone can say something that leaves me at a loss for words. But when city-loving writer and photographer James Reeves told me this on Wednesday afternoon, all I could say was, “Huh?”

“They’re just arbitrary entities,” he explained. “Rural areas have no interest in urban issues. They have completely different needs.”

Thus began one of the most thought-provoking conversations I’ve had in a long time. But that’s what Reeves, 36, is here to do – be thought-provoking.

The New Orleans resident is the first of what, I hope, will be a long line of creative types visiting Indianapolis as a guest of the grassroots initiative We Are City. He is what they call an [IMPORT] – a scientist, writer, designer, historian or artist chosen to explore Indy on a privately funded, short-term residency.

The goal is to link city-building efforts here with similar efforts in other urban areas. If it works, organizers say it could spawn new era of collaboration and create a buzz about Indianapolis nationwide.

So far, Reeves is still trying to understand what makes our city tick.

He is a guy who has crisscrossed the country in a car, exploring small towns and big cities. He grew up in Detroit and then lived in New York City for a time.

He talks about the tug-of-war in New Orleans the way I, and I imagine other transplants, talk about Indianapolis.

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“`That may work in other cities’,” he says is the refrain, “`but it doesn’t work here in New Orleans. We’re different.’ There’s the sense of not wanting change.”

What do people hold onto there, I asked? Why do they resist so much?

“The land. They are really attached to the land. And the history,” Reeves said. “And the culture. There’s a deep culture there that goes beyond what people usually think of, which is Bourbon Street.”

Makes sense.

But then Reeves turned the tables on me: “What do people hold onto here? Why do they resist change? When people think of New Orleans, they think of Mardi Gras and Bourbon Street. When I think of Indianapolis, I don’t know what to think. What makes the city special?”

Now, I can’t say I was surprised by this question. That’s because wildly successful Super Bowl or not, Indianapolis still has a pretty vanilla image nationwide. We can debate about whether that matters or not, but it’s true.

After a minute of thought, I told Reeves that Indianapolis is about simplicity. Church and football on Sundays, hanging out with friends and family other days of the week, saying hello to perfect strangers. Hoosiers don’t want their city to change into something complex. We don’t want to be Chicago.

Reeves nodded. It made sense.

We both agreed that it’s the people of Indianapolis, just like the people of New Orleans, who matter most. A city’s identity isn’t defined by its infrastructure or its amenities. These days, it’s easy to become a sucker for the urban narrative. That bike lanes and mass transit will save us all.

“It really is a big echo chamber about what’s going to be the city of the future,” he said.

But at the same time, cities must evolve. New ways of doing things shouldn’t be off the table simply because they are new. The trick is making sure that cities evolve alongside their identities.

That is what Reeves plans to study during his time in Indianapolis. His work will tie into a larger project called the “The Bureau of Manufactured History.” The next We Are City [IMPORT], composer Oliver Blank, is working on that, too.

Both men are tied to a creative studio in New Orleans called Civic Center, whose mission is to spark city-wide conversations about “dignity in public space.” While they’re in Indianapolis, they plan to talk to as many people as possible to create a portrait of the city using words, photos and music. A series of workshops on their work will come later.

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